Chris Sutton destroys the disrespectful ‘Asterisk’ army

Chris Sutton reckons Rangers players will be raging at their performances as he explains why Celtic will have won this season’s league title comfortably and convincingly.

In his Daily Record column Sutton holds nothing back in his assessment of how the league title undeniably belongs to Celtic. In fact he reckons the hoops would have won by more than 20 points had the season played out in full. Instead it’ll be a still very emphatic 13 points when the SPFL call a halt and declare champions, probably over the next few days.

Much is made of Rangers collapse after returning from the mid season break in Dubai, but Sutton highlights the tremendous form Celtic were in at the same time, putting even more pressure on a Rangers team with no real trophy winning experience:

"Lennon’s team were absolutely flying at the time of the Covid-19 stoppage.Neil Lennon and Celtic haven’t been handed the title. They won it themselves on the pitch."

Earlier in the week Sutton interviewed Celtic skipper Scott Brown on BT Sport and you’ll likely have seen Broony’s great response to being asked what he’d say to anyone who asked if it was a tainted title. He’d invite them round to see the trophy! Sutton himself refers to that point too in his column.

"An asterisk? Don’t be so disrespectful to Lennon or downright silly."

And he goes on to write about Neil Lennon’s response for the second half of the season. Lennon absorbed any pressure and rearranged his team, tactics and approach. The Celts responded magnificently going on a very strong run and stretching their lead to those 13 points. Rangers flopped badly and were still fading away from the race. Let’s not forget that mathematically Motherwell could still overtake them for 2nd place if the season restarted, though very unlikely on all fronts.

Sutton finds it incomprehensible that Rangers could go on a winning streak across all their remaining games accompanied by an unlikely major collapse by Celtic. He also points out the Hoops 89 goals in this curtailed season is well ahead of last season’s 77 goals, despite being 8 matches less.

Those goals, dynamic form and only 2 defeats in 30 games is why Sutton is adamant the title is Celtic’s, won fair and square on the pitch as the best team in Scotland. As an experienced winner, Sutton reckons he also knows what the less successful Rangers players will feel.

"If I was a Rangers player right now, I’d be absolutely raging."

He’s right in that they didn’t do anything to stop Celtic’s challenge, they didn’t add any real pressure, they didn’t look like winners. And they aren’t.

Their club can shout all it likes about process and procedures, about rules and resolutions. On the pitch, they weren’t good enough and Celtic were outstandingly better. 9 in a row is deservedly and tantalisingly close.